Load Up On Lemons

Squeeze and slice this flavor- and mood-booster. Nothing cheers up food the way lemons do. Keep lots of fat, juicy ones on hand, and add zest to the table with our favorite recipes.
First, we mean business with this ultra-tart tart. It's intensely sour, drawing winks from folks after one bite (and from those with a serious sweet tooth, winces). A lemon quadruple-threat—juice, rind, sections, and slices—creates this effect. If you prefer a bit less tang, omit the lemon juice. Try to get the thinnest lemon slices you can for the top of the dessert; a mandoline or very sharp serrated knife will do the trick.

Bucatini with Meyer Lemon Cream and Chives

Meyer lemons—with their hint of orangey sweetness—make a bright and irresistible flavoring for this pasta dish. For an extra-special touch, you can garnish with lemon rind strips and serve with lemon wedges, if you like.

Lemon-Pepper Flank Steak Tacos

This steak is simple to prepare and ready in a flash. The results are flavorful and supermoist. Don't be tempted to save time by skipping the resting step before slicing—the juices will run out from the meat, making it dry.

Chicken and Carrots with Lemon Butter Sauce

We can all agree that butter is the secret to perfect pan sauce for lean and tasty weeknight chicken. Adding a dab near the end of cooking lends a creamy, satin-smooth finish that no other fat can emulate. The butter emulsifies and slightly thickens the sauce enough to coat the chicken beautifully. This technique works equally well on lean fish.

Extreme Lemon and Chocolate Roulade

Lemon and chocolate are a lovely and lively pair in this roulade. If you prefer milder lemon flavor, you can omit the rind from the filling. Or, if you are a bold lemon lover, don't strain the rind out of the filling—enjoy the tartness and texture it provides.

Ricotta Lemon-Blueberry Waffles

Lemon-Browned Butter Cod with Hazelnut Pilaf

Thin pieces of spaghetti are traditional in Armenian-style pilaf. If you can't find basmati rice, any long-grain white rice will work. Keep an eye on the butter mixture as it browns—it can burn quickly.

Charred Lemon Chicken Piccata

Lightly charring the lemon slices intensifies their flavor and creates a gorgeous look. Be sure to include any of the sweet, tangy liquid the lemons give off in the bowl; it adds incredible depth to the sauce.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust

Beet Ribbon Salad with Lemon and Pickled Shallots

This salad contrasts the sweet, earthy taste of the beets with tangy-sweet, aromatic pickled shallots and a lemony vinaigrette. You can make the pickled shallots first thing in the morning or up to a day ahead.

Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

Studded with plump, juicy fresh berries, these cupcakes are perfect for an Easter gathering. Be as creative as you want when frosting the cupcakes. For a more homespun look, use a small, flat spatula. Want to be fancy? Pipe frosting onto cupcakes with a pastry bag fitted with a star tip for a fun, swirled appearance.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Champagne Limoncello Cocktails

A sugared rim is a pretty touch—rub a cut lemon wedge on the rim of the glass, and roll in sugar. You needn't purchase expensive Champagne; just be sure to use brut, the driest Champagne, or a dry cava or prosecco.

Smoky Portuguese-Style Mussels

Paprika and turkey sausage infuse the broth and lend a smoky flavor to the mussels, which are a sustainable, affordable choice. A squeeze of lemon brightens the dish.

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27 of 88Photo: Jennifer Causey

Cucumber and Herb Salad with Pine Nuts

For this cucumber salad, leave the skins on the cucumbers, and mix varieties. (For our photo, we used a combination of typical Persian and unique lemon cucumbers.) Lovage is a great cucumber herb—lively but not overwhelming. If you have it, use it in place of the celery leaves and flat-leaf parsley. Or change directions and go for dill, another natural with cukes.

Golden Potato Latkes

Baked Flounder with Fresh Lemon Pepper

Abandon your commercial lemon pepper in favor of this perfect homemade fish seasoning. Though generous with the spice, this preparation is perfect for the mild, delicate flavor of flounder. It’s also good over pork or tofu. Add asparagus spears to the pan and roast along with the fish.

Cucumber Pimm's Cup

A traditional Pimm's Cup may include slices of lemon and orange, mint, and sometimes rosemary or thyme, along with cucumber spears. We steeped the lemonade overnight with cucumber slices to bring out their flavor.

Zucchini-Lemon Muffins

Zucchini is so mild, it's the perfect veggie to sneak into your kids' meals. In this recipe, shredded zucchini is stirred into muffin batter, providing plenty of vitamins A & C without making a fuss. Grated lemon rind and a little sugar keep these muffins delightfully light, fresh, and irresistible.

Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

Quince-Lemon Marmalade

The very first marmalades were made with quinces, perhaps because they contain a high amount of pectin. A hint of vanilla mellows the tangy flavors of this version. With its gorgeous color and delicious taste, this marmalade would make a great gift.

Baked Pasta with Spinach, Lemon, and Cheese

Casarecce pasta is a short noodle with a curled edge that provides a large groove to hold the creamy sauce. If you can't find it, use fusilli, campanelle, or radiatore. Use a large, deep pot for the pasta so the spinach will fit inside, as well.

Sautéed Striped Bass with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Wild striped bass is plentiful along the East Coast but might be hard to find if you live inland. Look for farmed bass, which is a hybrid of striped bass and white bass and will work as a great substitute in this dish.

Shrimp with Lemon-Saffron Rice

This recipe combines all the flavors of a traditional paella in a weeknight-friendly dish. For the best sustainable choice, look for U.S. Pacific or West Coast white shrimp farmed in recirculating systems or inland ponds.

Lemon-Gin Sparkling Cocktails

Loosely based on the French 75, a classic cocktail of gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar, this welcoming beverage uses lemonade concentrate as a shortcut. Be sure to allow the concentrate to thaw ahead of time. You'll use almost a whole bottle of Champagne; the rest goes into the dessert. If time allows, you can use a quick simple syrup with lemon juice: Combine 3 tablespoons each of sugar, lemon juice, and water; microwave for 1 minute, and cool.

Grilled Pizza with Prosciutto, Arugula, and Lemon

Grilled flatbreads are a delicious base for a light, summery salad. The dough develops a yeastier, more complex flavor from a 24-hour resting period in the refrigerator. You can also use store-bought dough and begin with step 3 in the directions.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Chicken with Preserved Lemon

Whole lemons preserved in a salty brine are a flavor powerhouse. Look for preserved lemons at specialty stores, or order online from rakuten.com. They work wonders in dishes that can use a tangy, salty punch.

Lobster Wraps with Lemon Mayonnaise

This seafood wrap will have you scoffing at the days of plain turkey sandwiches. Buy cooked lobster and save yourself the hassle of boiling it. Flatbread replaces buttered rolls in this take on the New England classic.

Nathan's Lemon Cake

This is a namesake, because the recipe developer’s mom baked it for his birthday every year. We've adapted this recipe to trim the fat and calories, and it's still a moist, lemony treat.

"WOW! I've tried a lot of lemon cakes since I'm lucky enough to have my own lemon tree, but this one is tops," praises diane32922. "Wonderful texture, assertive lemon flavor, just enough richness and just enough icing. I'll be making this recipe for a long time."

Roasted Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Potatoes

This classic meal is economical and easy to prepare. Although we call for thyme, you can use any fresh herbs you have on hand—tarragon, chives, rosemary, or a mix of any of them will work in the potatoes.

Lemon-Parmesan Popcorn

A handful of ingredients (and far less salt) gives you better-tasting flavored popcorn than you can buy. To make sure the oil is ready for the popcorn, add a couple of kernels and wait for them to pop. Once they pop, add the remaining kernels.

Shaker-ish Lemon Pie

Traditional Shaker lemon pie uses the whole lemon, pith and all. This version uses only the rind and the meaty-juicy lemon part, leaving the pith for those hearty Shakers. Macerating the rinds in sugar for 24 hours tenderizes them and reduces bitterness. There's rich caramel flavor in the golden cane syrup; light-colored corn syrup will work fine, too, but the flavor won't be quite as rich.

Gingery Lemon Curd Sundae

Make the smart choice and switch from traditional ice cream to nonfat frozen Greek yogurt. By making the swap, you save more than enough calories to add toppings to your fro yo, such as prepared lemon curd and gingersnaps.

Shaved Melon Salad with Lemon-Sherry Dressing

For the best flavor, choose a good bottle of sherry. For a nutty taste, go with amontillado; for something sweeter and slightly richer, use oloroso. If you don't have a mandoline, you can cube the melons or scoop them with a melon baller; we did not have luck shaving the melon with a vegetable peeler.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Bread

Tuscan Lemon Muffins

Bake our Tuscan Lemon Muffins to keep on hand for satisfying hold-you-over snacks. The tart, rich flavor comes from a favorite Italian combo—olive oil and fresh lemon. ReviewerJaneBainessaid, "I think these deserve FIVE stars! They're VERY good. They were even better the next day because they are very moist and substantial without being heavy."

Sautéed Black Trumpets with Asparagus and Lemon

This is as simple—and delicious—as it gets: earthy mushrooms, crisp asparagus, and a wee hit of citrus to bring it all together. Because it's both robust and delicate, this side would go with pretty much any entrée.

Lemon-Orange Orzo

Lamb Chops with Farro, Arugula, and Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

The ever-expanding variety of quick grains on the market, like the farro used here, makes incorporating whole grains into daily meals easier. Feel free to substitute brown rice if you can't find farro.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Skewers with Blueberry-Balsamic Salsa

Blueberries are the standout ingredient for the sweet and sour sauce that accompanies these grilled kebabs. We used cilantro, basil, and parsley, but you can omit the cilantro. You can also serve this salsa on small toasts spread with creamy Camembert or tangy goat cheese.